I hear or read a lot about the "Wow" factor of seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum) in reference to the vibrant green color of the grass, but not so much about the other "Wow" factor associated with seashore paspalum -- it is highly susceptible to dollar spot. And it is dollar spot season now in many parts of Southeast Asia, with temperatures cooling down to 22 or 23 °C at night (about 73 °F) and rising to about 32 °C (about 90 °F) in the afternoons. During the hotter times of the year, when nighttime temperatures are warmer and rain falls more frequently, I see less dollar spot.

Why is that? You may not think these temperatures are cool, but this is the coldest time of year at places such as Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, Manila, and Hong Kong, so the warm-season grasses (including seashore paspalum) grow a little bit slower. Also, this tends to be the dry season in parts of Southeast Asia, and seashore paspalum eventually slows its growth under deficit irrigation (applied irrigation less than evapotranspiration). So we have plants that are growing a little bit slower, slightly cool nights at an ideal temperature for the dollar spot pathogen to grow, and a susceptible host. It doesn't snow here (One of the many reasons I chose to work in Asia was because of the salubrious climate, so I savor my memories of snowy winters while I enjoy my winters in tropical climates) but sometimes the dollar spot is so severe that a fairway can look as if a light snow has fallen. That is the other "Wow" factor of seashore paspalum.

In the warmer parts of Southeast Asia, where the nighttime temperatures rarely drop below 20 °C, dollar spot on seashore paspalum can usually be managed (at least on tees and fairways) with minimal fungicides. If we can accept some damage from disease, applications of fertilizer and water to stimulate more rapid growth will usually allow the turf to grow faster than the dollar spot can damage it. In cooler parts of Asia, where seashore paspalum growth is more restricted in winter, then fungicides may be required to control the disease. On greens there is rarely a situation when the risk of severe dollar spot infection can be tolerated, so fungicides are almost always required on a preventative basis.

My management suggestions are:

monitor the turf growth rate and scout for dollar spot daily

on fairways and tees, apply fast release nitrogen (sources such as ammonium sulfate, urea, or calcium nitrate work well) to stimulate growth when dollar spot infections are more than you wish to tolerate

ensure that soil moisture levels are in an optimum range for seashore paspalum growth

on greens, follow the same practices and use fungicides as necessary to control and prevent additional infections

One thing to note is that bermudagrass and zoysiagrass are relatively immune to dollar spot in Southeast Asia. On golf courses I have never seen that pathogen on those grasses. So keep that in mind when choosing grasses for your course. If seashore paspalum is chosen for the "wow" factor of color, you may also see the "wow" factor of snowy fairways. With zoysia in January (see below), very little maintenance is required but the grass provides a great surface.

6 Responses to “The Wow Factor, Seashore Paspalum and Dollar Spot”

Wow! Salubrious- I think that should win some sort of word choice award for the blog. I hope you are feeling very healthy as a result of the salubrious climate in SE Asia Micah :) It snowed about 3/4" here in Knoxville, which is to say that everyone treated it like a whiteout. Not of the dollar spot variety however.

Wow factors x 2 is exactly correct here in SEA. Having constucted and grown in 18 holes at KLGCC in Malaysia, with Seahore Fairways/Roughs and Supreme greeens, I can vouch for those Wow (Dollar Spot) factors you are highlighting.Snowing Dollar Spot mycelium over an entire fairway is really a sight to be seen. Paspalum has its place in certain climates I agree, howver in this part of the world I would rather see more Zoysia chosen, as it really can give you a similar Wow feeling, if maintained correctly. My vote is the mini Zoysia for SAE.....

Hi Martin, I agree, the zoysia can give a real WOW both with color, striping, leaf texture, and relative ease of maintenance. What do you see with dollar spot on seashore paspalum at lower mowing heights? It seems at green height there is less disease pressure than at fairway height, perhaps because of less leaf to infect, or more frequent mowing? Did you see anything like that?